Special Moments with Mom
by LockedSoulsAM
Summary: They all remember her as troubled. She was more than that. Olivia Crain was their mother and though their memories are scattered and skewed, they still have them. These are their stories.


Special Moments with Mom

A tired sigh left her mouth. The third one in the span of ten minutes. The constant insomnia was starting to get to her. Olivia threw the covers back from her body and sat up in bed. She swung her legs outward and just barely felt the heels of her feet touch the floor. With her shoulders hunched in exhaustion, her hair cascading down her back, and her shirt just barely covering her chest, she was feeling vulnerable to the cool air of the room. She pulled her tank top down over her belly and sighed again. She was having the strangest dream. No different from many of the strange dreams she'd been having as of late.

Her dreams were never linear or put together. Always random jumble of the twins. They had played important parts in her dreams but never like this. They were confusing, and dark, and extremely depressing. No matter how hard she tried though, she couldn't make sense of them. Shaking her head, Olivia twisted to see that Hugh was still sleeping. His light snoring wasn't so soothing tonight. It only seemed to bother her more. The fact that he could be sleeping and not know about the inner turmoil she'd been having. How alone she felt in her fear.

A cup of tea would calm her mind. It always did. That's what she would do. She could probably stay up for reading in her reading room to ease her mind even more. Swiping a robe that was hanging from the edge of the bed, she tied it around herself and left the room to head for the kitchen. Taking a detour, she decided to check on the children. Since they'd moved into Hill House they'd all been having a hard time adjusting. Nell's nightmares, the incident with Luke and the dumbwaiter, Theo always being cold, Shirley and the kittens. It had been taking longer than they thought to fix up the house but it would all soon be over. Hugh was getting a handle on things and she was in the process of finishing up final blueprints. Turning to her left she was stopping at the room which was closest to theirs. Shirley's.

Shirley didn't like sleeping with her door open. Olivia could remember her mention something about the dogs and the noise. That also could have been any one of her children. They'd all mentioned it one time or another. Twisting the knob slightly, Olivia peeked her head in and a smile immediately donned her face. Shirley only slightly twitched at the creak of her bedroom door. She was lying on her stomach spread eagle across the bed.

"Keys, we need more keys." The girl mumbled before turning away from Olivia. "Red room."

"I love you," Olivia whispered before retreating back to the hallway. Shirley had been sleep talking for as long as she could form complete sentences. Olivia pulled the door shut and waited to hear a click. Looking around the hallway, she decided on the twins room next. She was happy to see that they both were sleeping as peacefully as Shirley. Nell's nightmares of the Bent Neck Lady had not plagued her tonight and for that she was thankful.

Her back was beginning to ache from so many nights on the parlor room floor. She never complained one bit. Nell's nightmares were terrible and they had been for some time. They couldn't figure out a reason for her newfound villain but she was hoping it would pass.

Hoping not to wake him, she stepped into Steve's room. He had fallen asleep with a comic book on his chest and his lamp still on. He loved those things and stayed up late to read them over and over. Hugh had been into them when they first met and now the love for comics had been passed down to Steve. She laid the comic book on his nightstand and kissed his forehead. Pulling the chain of the lamp, they were enveloped in darkness.

Her bare feet slapped quietly against the cold tiles as Olivia stepped gracefully through the second-floor hallway. Last but not least was Theo. Her sweet Theodora who hadn't been having the easiest of summers. She could tell that Theo's "sensitivity" was becoming stronger as she got older. She knew what that felt like and she wanted nothing more than to help her daughter, but Theo was headstrong and independent. Even as an infant, Theo wasn't one to look for cuddles and affection. Only resorting to asking for help when she truly needed it. Right now Olivia was busier and more wired than ever which meant she wasn't helping either of her children as she could. As she wanted.

Once they were out of this house and in their forever home, she promised to be more attentive. Having five kids wasn't easy but they had done it so far. This is what they wanted and she'd be damned if they failed at it.

Approaching Theo's door, Olivia's brow crumpled when she noticed there was light shining through the cracks. With a knock, she pushed it open.

"Theo?" She asked. She had not expected to find her little girl sitting up against the headboard crying.

Theo quickly wiped away her tears and moved her knees up to her chest. Wrapping her arms around her legs, she unconsciously tried to shield herself. She didn't think anyone would be awake.

"Theodora?" Olivia tried again after not receiving a response. She approached the bed stopping just at the footboard. She knew how Theo felt about touching and didn't want to set her off. "Honey, what's wrong?"

"I hate this house," Theo said simply. She sniffled. She actively avoided eye contact with her mother and instead focused her vision on her socked feet. It was cold, freezing even. Which would be just fine if they had air conditioning. She wiggles her toes against the bed.

"I'm not a huge fan either." Olivia agreed. "Surely there's more to the story." She said knowingly.

Theo shook her head. She couldn't make sense of it. What she saw was terrifying. It was like something she had never seen before. Certainly more than any nine year old should have to see.

"Theo?" Olivia said. This time Theo knew that she was asking permission to sit down. She liked that about her mother. She never pushed for more than Theo was willing to give. Theo let go of her legs signaling that she was open to talking with her mom.

Olivia didn't hesitate to climb into bed with her. She made sure that they weren't touching but instead sitting across from each other. She simply watched her daughter. Her hands were still gloved and they were currently picking at invisible lint on her sweatpants.

"When are we going to move away?"Theo asked timidly. Her voice only wavering with a need to cry.

"Honey, we've been through this. Just a few more weeks and we'll be able to buy our forever home."

"Yeah, that's what you and dad keep saying." She mumbled to herself.

"Something's bothering you ?" Olivia guessed. "Something about the house?"

Theo shrugged and raised her blue eyes to meet her mother's. She looked beautiful just like always. With her hazel eyes and her unwavering gaze. She was genuinely concerned for her daughter.

"The other day downstairs when you touched my hand?" Olivia guessed correctly again. "There was something that you saw that scared you. You never told me what it was. Remember what I told you when I gave you the gloves?"

"That if I felt overwhelmed I could come to talk to you." Theo sniffled again. She glanced away from her mother's expectant gaze. Olivia was waiting for an answer that much was obvious.

"I meant that Theo," Olivia took a chance and swept a few stray hairs from Theo's face. She could see the tell-tale way that Theo was biting the inside of her cheek. The way she was curling into herself again. Realizing that this way would not work, she decided another tactic. "How about we go downstairs and make some hot chocolate? You're a little cold, yeah?"

Theo nodded reluctantly. Thankful for the out she was being given, Theo climbed down from the bed. The first-floor kitchen seemed so far away as they walked down the steps in silence. Sitting in her favorite chair, Theo watched her mother work around the kitchen. She was content on watching Olivia work her magic and include the marshmallows in her hot chocolate.

The cup was set in front of her and this time she slid off her gloves. She set them close enough to grab them just in case she needed to. They brought her comfort knowing she didn't have to feel anything else but her own emotions and feelings.

Heat. Warmth. Coziness. The feel of the hot mug against her fingers felt like pure heaven. She brought the cup up to her lips and sighed at the feeling of the hot liquid searing her throat. She loved chocolate and was happy to always be able to drink it.

"You know, when I was a little girl, I would sit with my grandmother and listen to her sing the weirdest of songs," Theo was startled out of her thoughts by the sound of Olivia's voice. She was always telling her stories about her childhood. "I hated to admit but I enjoyed just sitting with her and listening to her voice. Then she would ask me to sing and I'd sound like a dying seal." Olivia laughed not noticing that Theo wasn't laughing with her.

"Are you going to die?" Theo asked suddenly. Olivia's eyes widened and the silence that followed was deafening. Her mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. She tried to find her voice but failed completely. "Because if you do then what are we going to do without you? Who's going to take care of us? What about breakfast? What about Dad? And Steven and his stories? Or- or Shirley and Luke? And Nellie? What about me?"

"Theo." Olivia held up a hand but couldn't stop her rambling. "Theo, Theodora. I'm not dying."

Theo's mouth snapped shut and she listened. "But,"

"There's no buts, baby." Olivia gave a small smile. "I'm not going to die for a very long time. I'm going to be here with you for everything. Your first day of high school. Your college graduation. The first time someone breaks your heart. I'll be there to support you no matter who you love." Olivia knew that even at nine Theo's interest in boys was slim to none. Her attraction to the fairer sex was something Olivia had guessed back when Theo became obsessed with Paula Abdul. She had a serious crush on Paula Abdul and no one had known it more than her mother. "I'll be here to tuck you in for as long as I have control over." Seeing that Theo wasn't satisfied she reached across the table but stopped when she saw Theo reach for the gloves.

"My home is here with you, and your father, and your brothers and sisters." She continued. "There's nothing I want more than to promise you I'm not going to die but we both know I cannot promise the inevitable. What I can promise is that it won't be for a long time."

Theo nodded and relaxed her hand. "Promise?" She looked down at her hand. Slowly inching it closer to Olivia's she moved her pinky finger to wrap around the bigger one. She looked intensely down at her hands, with bated breath as she waited to feel what she had felt last time. She was pleasantly surprised when she felt nothing. Looking up into Olivia's eyes, she believed her.

"Promise." Olivia smiled back at her. She squeezed Theo's tiny pinky and only pulled away to take a sip of her tea. Theo swung her legs happily underneath her. For the rest of the night, she listened to her mother's stories until it was time for bed.


End file.
